A Thief's Love
by ThatOneGuy28
Summary: Anna was just another college student living her everyday normal life. Going to class, living with her best friend, and crushing on a certain blonde girl. Anna comes to find out however that her crush seems to be hiding something. Determined to find out what, her life quickly takes a turn towards the unexpected.
1. Chapter 1

**Modern AU. Anna and Elsa are not sisters. I am going to include dates in each chapter simply because it makes it easier to follow the timeline. Also because it is much easier for me to do that than to work it into the text. First chapter of many. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Confrontation<strong>

I guess I could start off by saying that I was just your everyday, innocent, not-so-special college freshman at UCLA. I would wake up, go to my favorite coffee place, and go back and forth between class and home all day. Wash, rinse, and repeat. There's nothing particularly interesting about me except the fact that I come from a more than wealthy family. They pay for everything, my school, my apartment, my car. I'm your typical spoiled, SoCal rich girl. I'll pay my parents back for everything someday, granted I don't end up rotting in a jail cell for the rest of my life. As long as the jobs go smoothly, then there's no worry. We get in, do what we do best, and get out. Simple as that. But I'm getting ahead of myself now.

How about I back this train up to the day I met her.

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><p><strong>October 1st, 2014<strong>

"Morning Anna!"

"Hey Adam!" I replied waving. "I'll take the usual."

"You got it! Have it out in just a sec!"

I should probably take the time to mention my best friend in the whole wide world, Adam. We've lived next door to each other our entire lives so needless to say we are the best of friends. We've been through everything together. Elementary school, the hell that is middle school and high school, and now we go to the same university. Well kind, of. He's taking a semester off to save up money. He's my only friend and the only friend that I need. He's also my roommate so I'm kind of stuck with him. The best thing about him is I never have to worry about the cliché situation of childhood friends becoming lovers. That's because, well, he doesn't swing that way. And neither do I. Talk about the perfect friendship, huh?

"Here you go! Dirty chai latte, just the way you like it." He set the drink down on the table and joined me in our usual booth.

"Thanks!" As I took a sip, I felt the warmth rush through my body. "How do you always make it taste so good?"

Adam laughed. "I only make it that way for you. I couldn't give two shits about the other people that come in here. If they don't like the way I make their drinks, then too damn bad." Adam leaned in closer to me resting his forearms on the table. "So?'

"So what?" I replied confused.

"Don't so what me girl. We talk about this almost every day."

I stared down at my drink and swished it around a bit. "Well, there is this one girl in my morning class but I don't even think she knows I exist."

"Have you talked to her?"

"Well, no but…"

"Talk to her!" Adam interjected. "How do you expect her to acknowledge you if you don't flippin' talk to her?"

"I was planning on trying to telepathically communicate with her. I figured if I stared at her long enough she would eventually hear my thoughts." I replied sarcastically.

"Very funny," he said flatly. "Seriously, just walk up to her after class and ask if she would like to hang out some time."

"Ugh, fine." Damn you and your pushy but welcomed encouragement.

"That's my girl," he said as he patted me on the top of my head.

"Adam, quit socializing and get back to work!"

Adam rolled his eyes and stood up. "The dictator calls." Before he walked away, he stuck a finger in my face. "Talk to her. I'm working late tonight so try to not to get too lonely without me."

"Yes sir," I responded half-heartedly saluting. Adam walked back behind the counter and carried on with his barista duties. I took another sip of coffee trying to figure out how I would greet my newfound crush. I glanced at the clock that now said 7:50. "Shit!"

I grabbed my backpack and burst out the front door, leaving the coffee behind. I relentlessly sprinted the few blocks that separated the coffee shop and the campus. By the time I had reached the building where my first class was held, my legs were screaming for mercy. Short and heavy breaths were forcing their way in and out of my lungs. I forced my legs to carry my weight for a few seconds more as I climbed the stairs to the second floor. I flung the door open to the class room and was greeted by the curious looks of the other students. The professor looked over at me for only a second and then directed his gaze back to his laptop.

"One minute to spare," he said flatly.

I scurried back to my seat in embarrassment. All eyes were on me. All except the pair that I want to be looking in my direction. I passed my hooded crush without even receiving a passing glance. I took my normal seat right behind her as I waited for the red to disappear from my face. Maybe she doesn't know I exist. Or maybe she just doesn't care. My embarrassment immediately turned to disappointment. Even if she's staring at me for a negative reason, at least she's looking at me. I settled in with my discontent and prepared for class.

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><p>As the hour and fifteen minute snooze fest was coming to its end, I began to mentally pep-talk myself. I didn't want to come on too strong and scare the hell out of her but I also didn't want to act like I didn't really care.<p>

"Alright we're done for the day. Get out of here. Go do something useful with your lives."

Why do I have to get the condescending professors? Oh yeah, because I'm the one who picks them. Alright time to talk to…her? Where is she? There's no way she left this room without me knowing. She was right in front of me. I rushed out of the room, fighting my way through the mob of students in my way. I was finally able to escape the room only to find that she was nowhere to be seen. Crap. That girl is unnaturally quick. And sneaky. How did she manage to stand up right in front of my face and walk out without me noticing? Well so much for my plan. I just wish I could have gotten her name at the very least. Hmm, maybe my professor knows who she is.

I walked back into the room and confronted the ass of a man that I called professor. "Um, excuse me. Mister Weselton."

"Class is over," he said

"Yeah I know. I just wanted to ask you something."

"What could it possibly be about? The semester just started last week."

Jerk. "I just wanted the name of the girl that sits in front of me. Pale skin. Light blonde hair."

"Who, Elsa?" he replied in an appalled tone.

Elsa huh? That's a pretty name. "What's so bad about her?"

"It'd be easier to tell you what's not bad about her," he said. "She rarely attends class. In fact, her showing up was an unpleasant surprise. She treats all her professors with disrespect, including me. She's been at this university for two years and she's hardly spoken a word. And when she does speak, it's nothing worth hearing." Weselton looked me dead in the eyes. "Frankly, she's a rude, disrespectful, delinquent." He went back to staring at his laptop. "I will say this for her though, she is an intelligent girl. If she took the time to apply herself she could make something of her life instead of shutting everyone out who tries to help her."

"Have you ever taken the time to talk to her?" I replied defensively. "Maybe she's just going through some things."

"Why bother? Like I said, she's hardly spoken a word to anyone here and I highly doubt she'll start talking now." Weselton closed his laptop and gathered his things. "If you want my advice, don't get involved with her." With that, he was gone, leaving me in the room alone with my thoughts.

Why would I ever want your advice anyway? It's interesting what he said about her though. He said she doesn't talk to anyone, but maybe I can change that. Guess I'll have to wait until Friday to try though. That's only two days from now. I can do that. Assuming she actually shows up that is.

I continued to ponder how exactly I would approach Elsa as I headed off to my next class.

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><p>Last class of the day is finally over. I just wish it ended a little sooner than eight o'clock. But I guess that's what I get for waiting until the last minute to register for classes.<p>

The campus was covered in a sheet of darkness illuminated only slightly by the few light posts between academic buildings. There was an occasional student wandering about but not the usual foot traffic that the sidewalks were accustomed to.

As I exited the building I heard stern yells coming from around the corner of the building to the left of the door.

"Stop now!"

"Put your hands up!"

That sounds like something a cop would say. The next thing I knew, a hooded figure in a black sweatshirt came sprinting around the corner knocking me to the ground. "Hey! Watch where you're…" Before I could utter another word, I was silenced by the stranger's hand over my mouth. The stranger yanked me up off of the ground and kicked the door open. Instead of being dragged inside, I was quickly pulled around the opposite corner of the building and pinned up against the wall, my mouth still covered. I tried to fight my way free, but it was no use. The stranger's body was pressed up against mine, preventing me from moving.

Although I was being attacked, I felt a slight wave of pleasure shoot through my body. The idea of being dominated always got me a little hot under the collar. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm being attacked and that's what I think about?

"Stay quiet!" The stranger said in a hostile tone. I was not able to see my aggressor's face as it was covered by a hood and mask. The mask was decorated with the prints of snowflakes of various shapes and sizes.

"I think she went in here!" I heard one of the officer's exclaim. From the sounds of hard slamming on the doors, it was evident the officers had entered the building.

My assailant peered around the corner to ensure that her trick was a success. When she realized that she was in the clear, she released me and stuck a finger in my face.

"You never saw me," she said quietly.

As she turned around, I grabbed her hood and pulled it off of her head. I'm not really sure why I did it. Maybe it was a nervous reaction or maybe it was just me being stupid. As the hood slipped off, it revealed a long braid of almost white hair. My hand was instantly swatted away. The attacker quickly pulled her hood back up and took off running. She was gone in a mere seconds, disappearing into the darkness. Her footsteps were virtually silent. After a few moments, the officers reemerged from the building in a panic.

"Shit, she's gone!"

I slowly walked around the corner, still in awe of what just happened. When I did, I was confronted immediately by the officers.

"Excuse me miss. Did you see a girl wearing all black come through here?"

"Was she wearing a mask with snowflakes on it?"

"That'd be her. Did you see which way she went?"

"She took off that way," I lied pointing in the opposite direction of her.

"Thank you miss." The officers turned and jogged off in the same direction they believed their suspect had taken off in.

I'm not sure why I lied to them. Maybe because I have a misplaced sense of morality. I don't know what this mysterious girl did. Who am I to decide whether or not she should be turned in? Maybe they'll find her, maybe they won't. Not my concern. Although, I did just lie to a police officer so I might want to get out of here myself before they come back.

This will be a great story to tell Adam.

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><p>"How could you not get away?" Adam asked curiously.<p>

"She had me pinned. What was I supposed to do?"

"Knee her in the stomach maybe. Probably would have been pretty effective."

"She used her body to pin mine. I wasn't going anywhere."

"Sounds kind of kinky when you put it that way," Adam said with a wink. "I bet she turned you on didn't she?

I hesitated before confessing the truth. "Well…I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little turned on by the whole thing."

"You, little red, are a naughty girl," Adam replied teasingly.

"What can I say, the thought of a girl having her way with me just gets me going. So maybe that had something to do with why I didn't try that hard to escape."

"You know what we should do?" Adam asked excitedly.

"What should we do?"

"This girl that had kinky time with you was on campus right? So that must mean she's a student there. We should find out who she is!" Adam's yelled with eagerness.

"How do we know she's a student?" I asked. "She was running from the cops, which means she probably just stole something."

"Who picks a college campus to steal from? I mean honestly. If you're going to steal something, I can suggest many other more suitable targets." Adam scooched closer to me on the couch. His eyes were gleaming with zeal. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

After a few seconds of trying to ignore his persistent stare, I succumbed to his charm. "Oh alright."

"Awesome! We'll start tomorrow. It might help if we knew something about her appearance though. Did you notice anything about your frisky attacker?"

"Other than the fact that she was able to turn me on?"

"Something about her physical appearance is a little more useful," Adam replied blandly.

"She was all covered up, even her face hidden." Then it hit me. "But before she ran away I pulled her hood off." I turned to Adam. "Her hair was almost snow white."

"Why the hell would you pull her hood off? You know what, doesn't matter." Adam clapped his hands in satisfaction. "We've got our first clue."

"Now that I think about it, I think Elsa has a similar hair color."

"Elsa?" he asked intrigued. "The girl in your morning class?" Adam pummeled me with questions before I was able to answer his first one. "You talked to her? What did you say? What did she say? When's the first date?"

"Whoa slow down there," I said raising my hands. "I didn't even talk to her. I got her name from my professor."

Adam's eagerness turned to disappointment. "Really? I expect better out of you."

"It wasn't my fault, she took off before I even realized she was gone."

"No wonder you can't get a woman," Adam joked. "They take one look at you and run away."

"You're an ass."

"I thought it was pretty funny," he replied smugly. "You know what else would be funny though? If your little girl crush turned out to be this mysterious thief of ours."

"Yeah, that'd definitely be something," I mumbled to myself.


	2. Chapter 2: Break In

**Chapter 2: Break In**

**October 3, 2014**

"I swear I'm going to talk to her today. Granted she doesn't run away from me again."

Adam rolled his eyes. "I still think you're just afraid to talk to her."

"Whatever. Hey what happened to finding out who our mysterious thief is?"

Adam sighed. "I've kind of lost interest in that already."

"And you say that I'm a disgrace. At least I can focus on something for more than a couple days."

"That doesn't matter." He stood up from our usual booth. "What matters is that you have your second chance today. Make it count girl." He winked and resumed his employee duties.

"Yeah…" I whispered. You know what? I'm going to talk to her today. It's going to happen and nothing is going to stand in my way. Can't talk to her if I don't go to class though. Better get going.

The whole walk to class I couldn't stop thinking about what I would say to Elsa. Nothing else occupied my mind but her. I haven't said one word to her but I'm just so mesmerized by her. When I finally reached the classroom, I walked through the door with an eager expression, hoping to see her face right away. My eagerness instantly turned to disappointment when I discovered that the room was empty. Oh...right. It's Friday which means no morning class today. Guess I was so distracted that I forgot. Well maybe if I hang out around campus I'll run into her. That's if she's even around today.

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><p>The time was nearing one in the afternoon. I headed to the north campus student center and grabbed a little something to fill my stomach. Needless to say I ate alone due to the fact my only friend isn't here right now. I quickly ate and just as I was getting ready to leave, I noticed a hooded figure sitting in the corner staring intensely at a laptop. Is that…Elsa? Sure enough, the hooded person turned out to be my blonde beauty. I instantly swooned. I don't know what it is about her that drives me wild. Nothing special about her outfit. A pair of skinny jeans and a black sweatshirt. But I'm still so attracted to her. It has to be that long braid of hers. The way it hangs over her shoulder. I absolutely love it.<p>

Alright snap out of it. Here's your chance. Just go over and talk with her. It's not that hard. Just don't say anything stupid…or weird…or dorky…or anything at all… I exhaled deeply and slowly made my way over to Elsa's table. My heart was pounding all the way to the edge of the table.

"Um…hi."

"Huh?" Elsa looked up from her laptop with the same serious expression on her face. When she saw me, her expression changed to one of confusion. "Can I…can I help you?"

"Well I just noticed that you were sitting alone so I thought…I'd come sit with you." I gulped audibly. "Is that alright?"

Elsa sat silently in her seat, her crystal blue eyes shifting back and forth, deciding on what she should do. After a long silence she finally spoke. "Um…sure."

"Really!?" I threw a hand over my mouth and cleared my throat. "I mean, thanks." Already going better than I expected. I carefully sat down across from her. "So, your name is Elsa right?"

She glanced up from her laptop for only a second. "I never told you my name."

"Oh. Um, I got it from the professor. Because we're in the same class. The same morning class."

"Oh." She remained entirely focused on her laptop. "Why'd you want to know my name?" she asked firmly.

Whoops. Well guess it's now or never. "To be honest, I was wondering if maybe you'd…"

"Hey Elsa!"I looked to the left to see two guys in baggy sweatpants and raggedy university sweatshirts headed our way. I assumed they were both students here. They were lean but appeared athletic. When they reached the table, one of the guys slammed Elsa's laptop shut. "Elsa, hey! We need to talk! Now!"

"About what?" she asked sternly.

"Work. Now come on let's go. You can talk with your friend later."

"She's not my friend. We just met." She stuffed her laptop into her backpack and stood up. "Let's go." And with that, Elsa and the two men briskly walked away.

"I'm Anna by the way." Well at least I can say I talked to her today. Dammit no. I worked up too much courage for this. I'm going to see what's so important they couldn't discuss it in front of me. I waited until they walked around a corner to initiate my pursuit. I quickly made my over to where they disappeared and peeked around the corner. They were headed outside so naturally I followed. I kept a decent distance from them while I shadowed them around campus. I was too far away to make out anything they were saying though. I closed the distance between us and tried to focus my hearing. I was now only a few steps back but their hoods blocked their vision enough so that they couldn't see me behind them. I listened in.

"That job is going to have to be put on hold for a got word of another group that was planning the same thing we were. They bumped up the security so we'll need time to work out a new plan."

Security? New plan? What exactly do they do for work? The person that spoke next was Elsa. I listened in as best I could.

"I'd rather be prepared than rot in prison."

Prison!?

"We'll just have to get by on smaller jobs until we come up with something new. I found this high-end apartment not too far from campus. I've only seen two people ever come and go from that place in the past couple weeks. Low risk, high reward."

The other male student spoke. "Then you can handle that one tonight. We'll scope out some other places in the meantime. Get it done Iceman." Elsa bumped fists with the two other students and they parted ways.

What the hell was all that about? All that talk of mysterious jobs, security. And…Iceman? I'm so confused. I rubbed my temples trying to grasp what I had just overheard. From the sound of everything, it almost sounded like Elsa was going to break into that apartment. I shook my head violently trying to rid my head of those thoughts. No, not Elsa. She's not that kind of person. She would never do that…right?

I was becoming lost in my thoughts until I bumped into another person. "Oh sorry I didn't mean to…"

"Why are you following me?" Elsa asked firmly.

"Me? I wasn't following you. I was just uh, headed to my next class. That's all." Shit.

"What did you hear?" Elsa started to become more aggressive.

I quickly defended myself. "I wasn't following you I swear! I was just headed to class. I didn't hear anything!"

Elsa stared at me with vicious eyes. It felt like she was staring right into my soul. She grunted and furiously walked away.

Jesus Christ. I think my heart just stopped. She has to know I was following her. If she knows it's only a matter of time before her two buddies find out. I'll just stick with my story. I heard nothing. Nothing at all.

Unfortunately, I heard everything.

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><p>"I'm sure it's nothing. You know how college students are Anna."<p>

"What college students jokingly talk about robbing a place!?"

"They never said robbing directly did they?"

"Well…no." But it was certainly implied. I mean really who jokes about that. "Maybe we should call the police Adam."

"And tell them what? That we just kind of jumped to a huge conclusion and assumed that a few students were planning a heist with no valid evidence?"

Damn you and your perfectly legitimate argument. "Fine, we'll just leave it alone." I'd rather not leave it alone though. I want to know exactly what she was talking about. Their conversation wasn't your typical college student conversation. I'll investigate more on Monday and I will find out what's going on.

"Adam, I'm just too curious. I need to know what they were talking about."

"Look, let's just say for the sake of discussion that these people are a group of thieves. Even your little blonde bombshell. Why would you want to get more involved with them? You don't know what they are capable of."

I could see the worry in Adam's eyes. He was always quick to deny what seems to be true. He always thinks there is an alternative explanation for everything. I could still see concern in his face though. He just wants to protect me and I respect that.

"Adam I'll be careful I promise. I'll just do a little more eavesdropping, that's all." I playfully patted his cheek. "No need to worry about me." I gave him a reassuring smile hoping for one in return.

"Alright, I trust you. I doubt you'll get into any kind of real trouble but just be careful." His mood changed to sarcastic. "If anything happens to you, how do you expect me to pay rent?"

"You don't pay rent now you dork. My parents pay for it."

"But if something happened to you, I'd be forced to pay it all myself. Either that or find a new roommate and I'd really rather not do that."

"I'm sure you'd find a way," I teased. I looked over at the clock above our TV that read 12:25 am. "Holy crap. I didn't realize it was so late. I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to call it a night." I stood up from the couch and stretched. "Night Adam."

"Night little red."

* * *

><p>"Huh?" I sat up in my bed in a groggy daze. The clock in my bedroom read 2:40 am. I rubbed my eyes and let out a loud yawn. As I laid back down in my bed to fall asleep, I heard a faint shuffling noise. I sat up again, this time a bit more focused. I waited and listened for another sound. This time it was the sound of very light footsteps.<p>

"Adam?" I whispered. There was no response. The footsteps stopped. "Adam is that you out there?" Still no response. I threw my blanket off of me and tiptoed over to my door.

I couldn't just stay in bed like a little scared girl huh? Of course not. I have to investigate.

Once I reached my door, I gradually opened it to peek out into the living room. I saw nothing but darkness and silhouettes of the furniture. One of our windows was half open. I didn't leave that open did I? No, Adam must have done it.

"Adam?" Nothing but silence. I creeped my way out into the living room to investigate further.

I performed a thorough sweep of the apartment, checking around every corner. I peered into Adam's room to see him still passed out. Well it's not him. I must just be paranoid. Hearing all that talk between Elsa and those two guys must still have me distracted.

I started to head back to my bedroom but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the silhouette of an unknown person raiding my room. The only light that lit my room was the moonlight that was shining through my window. It provided just enough light for me to see this intruder picking up the last gift my grandma gave me. It was a diamond snowflake necklace. She gave it to me on my 16th birthday. A week later she passed away quietly in her home. That necklace is the only thing I have to remember her by. I will not let it be taken.

My fear turned into anger as I rushed at the intruder. I screamed as I tried to tackle the stranger and in the blink of an eye, I wound up on the floor. I sprung back up and attempted to throw a punch but my arm was stopped mid strike and pinned behind my back in mere seconds. I was thrown on to my bed as the intruder dashed out of my bedroom and out of the living room window. I quickly rushed to the window and peered out. There were no fire escape stairs on the side of the building. The only way out was…up! She must have climbed to the roof! It wouldn't be that hard, considering we're on the top floor. I rushed out of the apartment towards the stairwell. I ran to the roof and threw open the door. I scanned the rooftop frantically. There was no one around.

"God dammit!" I shouted. I fell to my knees and began to cry. That was all I had from her. Now it's gone. Why would someone steal that from me?

"Anna what's going on? Are you alright!?" Adam came rushing out onto the roof and knelt down next to me. "I heard the struggling and then I heard you shout. Why are you out here?"

I was crying so much, I was having difficulty speaking. "My…n..n… necklace from…m.. my grandma. It's gone. Someone broke into our home and stole it from me!" I fell into Adam's arms as I continued to cry. "Why would someone take that from me?"

"Because people are selfish assholes that only care about themselves. Let's go back inside and I'll call the police."

"Don't bother," I murmured. "I didn't see any part of them. It was too dark. Calling the police wouldn't help."

"But maybe they can…"

"It wouldn't help Adam…"

He paused searching for the right words. "Well let's get you back inside at least."

Adam picked me up off of the ground and carried me back down to our apartment. He gently laid me down in my bed and covered me with my blanket. "I know it will be hard, but try to get some sleep Anna. We'll deal with this in the morning, alright?"

I just nodded back as I continued to whimper.

"I'll stay up the rest of the night and make sure we don't have any more guests. Try to get some sleep Anna." He kissed my forehead and quietly walked out into the living room.

I had a difficult time falling back to sleep after that. All sorts of thoughts filled my head. Who was this person that broke into our home? Why did they do it? Why_ our_ home? There had to be a reason. That intruder seemed too experienced to just pick a place at random. They had to have had this planned for a while so they wouldn't hit here unless they had a reason.

I instantly sat up when the realization hit me. What if our home was the high-end apartment they were talking about? If that's the case, then that means...

I cupped my hands over my mouth in shock. That means that the person that invaded our home, the person that stole my grandmother's necklace, was...Elsa!

No, that can't be! Elsa may be a little different than most college students but she's not a thief. I'm certain of it.

I slammed my fists down on my bed. She's not a criminal and I can prove it. I'll talk to her on Monday and find out more about her. More importantly, I'll find the pathetic excuse for a human being that stole my necklace and I will get it back.

She's not a criminal…


	3. Chapter 3: Hidden Personality

**Chapter 3: Hidden Personality**

**October 22, 2014**

It's been two weeks since I've had my necklace stolen and I haven't found out anything new. But I haven't had the chance to talk to Elsa either over the past two weeks. She hasn't come to class. I haven't been able to spot her on campus anywhere either. I'm starting to think that she isn't coming back. Oh what am I saying? It's only been two weeks. That's not a big deal. Now if it had been months since I'd seen her then maybe I could think that. Anyway, I don't even know why I'm going to class this morning. It's a Wednesday, it's an 8 am class, and Elsa will probably still be MIA. So why am I even going? I don't really have a reason…

I took my usual seat in class and prepared to suffer through yet another hour and fifteen minutes of monotone torture. Before I got too settled, a familiar hooded figure sluggishly walked through the door. My emotions went from depressed to downright ecstatic. I straightened my posture and prepared to greet Elsa.

"Hi Elsa!" I said excitedly while waving to her. She sat down in front of me without saying a word. I couldn't tell if she was ignoring me or she just didn't hear me. I tapped her shoulder and tried again. "Um, hey." This time she turned around and looked at me.

"What do you want?" she asked with a hostile tone.

"I was just wondering where you've been the past couple weeks. You haven't been in class so…"

"What does it matter to you anyway?" she retorted.

"I just…"

"No talking! Class has started so sit there and shut up," Weselton scolded.

Dick. Elsa turned back around and I was back to staring at the back of her hood. I wanted to say something, anything, but I had no clue what to say. I've got over an hour to plan my next move. Guess it will have to wait.

The entire class period, I was unable to focus on anything but Elsa. Not that I really pay attention anyway. When class reached its end, my heart started beating harder. Dammit calm down. You're just talking to her that's it. And discreetly asking if she's a criminal…No big deal.

Surprisingly, Elsa did not dart out of the room like I expected. Instead, she took her time following the mob of other students. When we both escaped into the hallway, I quickly approached her and tapped her on the shoulder again. She stopped and dropped her head. I heard her sigh deeply from behind the cover of her hood. She reluctantly turned around and greeted me with an irritated expression.

"What do you want with me?"

My heart was still beating out of my chest. "Well, I wanted to ask you something but I haven't seen you in a while so I haven't gotten the chance."

Elsa crossed her arms, maintaining her same expression. "What could you possibly want with me? You don't even know me."

"But I'd like to…" Whoops! Well, it's out there now.

Elsa's face was riddled with confusion. "Say what now?"

I started it, might as well follow through. "I just think that you're a pretty interesting person…In a good way!"

Elsa dropped her arms. "Oh, um, ok?"

My heart keeps going like this, it might just freaking explode. "What I'm trying to ask is…would you like to do something some time?" I looked at the floor, too afraid of how she would react. After a few seconds of silence, I slowly looked back up to see her blushing. Is that a good thing?

Elsa started rubbing the back of her head, face still slightly red. "Like…a date?"

"No! No! Not at all!" Yes! "I just want to get to know you is all." Elsa was still rubbing the back of her ahead. Is she actually thinking about it!?

After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, Elsa finally spoke. "Um, sure. That sounds nice…I guess."

No freaking way! My excitement was about ready to explode all over the place. I hid it as best as I could to keep from scaring her off though. "Really? Fantastic! Um, what do you want to do?"

"Just meet me outside this building at 8 o'clock on Friday. We can go for a walk and find something to do then." She stuck her hands in her hoodie pocket and walked away.

"Alright, see you Friday!" Motherfucking score!

* * *

><p>"You're screwing with me right?" Adam asked stunned.<p>

"I have never been so serious!" I replied joyously. "Not only did I work up the courage to talk to Elsa, but I actually got her to agree to go out with me!"

"Well, it's not really a date. At least not to her," Adam replied killing the mood.

"Shut up. It's a date to me whether she knows it or not."

Maybe she'll think of it as a date too. We'll laugh, and talk about all sorts of things. She'll walk me back to my apartment and we'll stop at the front door. We'll both just stand there awkwardly while we both wait for the other to make a move. Then, just like in a movie, she'll pull me in and…

"Yo, come back to the real world Anna." I snapped out of my daydream to see Adam waving his hand in front of my face.

"I was having the best daydream and you just ruined it."

"Yeah, I noticed," he replied pointing to the corner of his mouth.

I wiped my hand along both corners of my mouth, wiping away a bit of drool. Needless to say, my embarrassment levels were off the charts.

"I already know you've got the hots for this girl. You don't have to hide it from me." Adam reached over and ruffled my hair. "It's not like I'm going to steal her from you."

My embarrassment levels were slowly returning to normal. "Even if you tried, you'd end up six feet under before you said one word to her."

"A bit protective are we?" he asked. "She's not your girlfriend you know."

"But she could be. I definitely plan on making that a reality."

"If your 'date' goes well that is."

"You know, I can kick you out anytime I want. Or I could end you now." I rubbed my hands together devilishly. "Doesn't make any difference to me."

Adam scoffed. "Oh please. You need me in your life. Who else is going to sit here and listen to you whine about girls?"

Damn. Good point. "Alright, you got me there," I confessed. "But since you are my best friend in the whole wide world, guess what you get to do Friday night?"

Adam looked at me with an intense stare of disappointment. "Do I really have to? Can't you handle this by yourself?"

"You know our agreement. You follow us around and text me what I'm doing wrong. It's not that hard."

"What if I have plans Friday night?" he asked.

"Do you have plans?"

He sat with an expression of frustration on his face before finally giving up. "Oh alright I'll do it. You wouldn't survive without me anyway."

I lunged to the other side of our couch and hugged Adam tightly. "Thank you!"

Adam patted me on the head and smiled. "What would you do without me?"

* * *

><p><strong>October 24, 2014<strong>

Ever since Wednesday morning, all my mind could think about was my date with Elsa. I'm meeting her in twenty minutes and my heart feels like it's about to jump straight out of my chest. No need to worry though, Adam will follow us the whole night and let me know what I'm doing wrong.

"Just calm down Anna. You're getting worked up over nothing."

"That's really not the best way to reassure someone." At least he's trying.

"Just remember, I'll be helping you out the whole way. Just remember to check your phone every now and again."

I hugged him tightly. "Thank you." I said sincerely. "Well, should we get going?"

Adam nodded and followed me out of the apartment. The walk to our meeting spot was pretty quiet. Adam and I bantered back and forth a bit but I was so nervous I had a hard time even holding a normal conversation. The entire walk, I wondered if Elsa was even going to show up. I didn't want to believe what Weselton said about her. I wanted to get first-hand experience on what kind of person she really is. We made it the spot right at eight. I obviously thought I would be the first to show up but much to my surprise and satisfaction, my blonde beauty was already waiting for me. She was dressed in her normal hoodie, hood up of course, with a pair of nice skinny jeans.

I shoved Adam away from me before she had a chance to look my way. "Spread out!" He stumbled a bit before complying. I mouthed sorry to him as he turned away, pretending not to know me. I walked up to Elsa, heart beating a mile a minute, and tapped on her shoulder. "Hi."

She turned around and greeted me surprisingly content. "Hey. How are you?"

"I'm doing just fine," I replied sincerely. "So what do you want to do tonight?"

"Not really sure. Whatever you can think of I guess."

I was really hoping she would have thought of something. "I'm fine with just walking around and talking. I really just want to get to know you." I tried to smile flirtatiously but she didn't seem to notice.

"Oh. Alright. I'm fine with that." We started walking through campus. We passed Adam, who was still pretending to ignore us. I looked back after a few steps to see him tailing us, mindlessly staring at his phone. Good boy.

I directed my attention back to Elsa. I don't know if I'm over thinking this whole situation but she looks…nervous.

"So, why me?"

Her question caught me off guard. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…why did you want to get to know _me_? Most people don't want anything to do with me."

I pondered the question for a moment. "Well, nobody really seems to talk to you. I mean not that you don't have any friends obviously because those guys from the other day…"

"They aren't my friends," Elsa replied firmly. "I just work with them."

"Oh, I see." I knew I probably shouldn't ask, but I couldn't help myself. "What do you do for work exactly?"

She shifted her eyes back and forth before answering me. "It's kind of hard to explain."

"I don't mind listening. Really." I stared at her expectantly hoping to coax an answer out of her. She said nothing. "How about you just tell me one word that describes your work?"

Elsa chuckled to herself. "One word, huh? It would definitely be movement."

"Movement?" I thought about prying further but due to my better judgment, I decided not to. "Interesting." The topic quickly changed when she hit me with another question.

"So, why were you following us the other day?" Elsa asked.

"Say what?" Crap. What am I supposed to say? "I wasn't following you…"

"Don't lie to me Anna." She remembered my name! "Just be honest with me. Did you hear anything we were talking about?"

Oh that awful moment when you want to tell the truth but can't because of your own selfish needs. "I didn't hear a word. I promise."

Elsa stared back at me with a death gaze before finally relaxing. "Ok. I believe you."

"You do?" Idiot, don't say that! "I mean, why do you believe me?"

Elsa shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I just feel like I can trust you."

You can't see it right now, but my heart just melted. I wanted to hug Elsa right then and there but I restrained myself. "Weselton was so wrong about you."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"When I asked him about you, he told me that I was better off just staying away from you. He told me you were just a rude, insensitive person."

Elsa's head drooped a bit in sadness. Adam must have noticed this because seconds later my phone buzzed. I discreetly pulled it out and checked it.

'What did you say to her? Cheer her up!'

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and tried to move the conversation along. Elsa spoke before I did though.

"That's not who I really am." She lifted her head back up. "It's just an act I put on. If the other guys saw me…like this, I'd be done."

There's so much more to her than I realized. I couldn't stop myself from finding out more. "Why is it such a big deal if your 'acquaintances' know who you really are?"

"I just…I can't tell you, Anna." She looked at me with begging eyes. I could tell she didn't want me to ask any more about them.

That was my stopping point. I didn't want to keep prying and make her uncomfortable. My phone buzzed again, so I pulled it out and checked it.

'Talk about her interests.' I peeked behind me. Adam was now a decent distance behind us. He was giving me a thumbs up, trying to encourage me. I returned his thumbs up and directed my attention back to Elsa.

"So, Elsa. Do you have anything you like to do?"

She perked up immediately. "I do. Do you know what parkour is?"

"Um, isn't it like a mix of climbing, running, jumping, and other stuff?"

Elsa lightly laughed. "Close enough. For me though, it's more like a way of life. When I was back in high school, I wanted to stand out from everyone else. I wanted to be unique but I wanted to be unique in a way no one else was."

I just listened in amazement as Elsa continued with her story.

"I've seen more videos than I can count, so one day I decided I can do that too." This girl gets more amazing the longer she talks. "I spent every afternoon after school practicing. I'd go out on weekends and practice all day long. At first, I wanted to learn just so I could impress others. After a year of hard training, I stopped doing it for others and started doing to for myself. It just makes me feel...alive."

This amazing girl...

"You okay?" Elsa asked. "You're staring at me pretty hard."

"Oh sorry!" I apologized embarrassed. "It's just, there's so much more to you than I thought."

Elsa's face lit up. Her face was redder than my hair. She didn't say anything, but I could read her well enough to know what she was feeling.

"I'm glad Weselton was wrong about you Elsa."

"Thank you." She replied quietly. She graced me with the most sincere smile I've seen from her since I met her.

After that, it was like somebody flipped a switch. We talked back and forth for the next hour just walking around town. We shared some stories, laughed, and got to know each other better. We never did end up actually going anywhere but that's alright with me. I'm just glad I was finally able to hang out with Elsa. Adam eventually abandoned me and headed back to our apartment. I didn't really mind though because for the first time in forever, I felt like I could handle something without his help.

When we finally decided to call it a night, Elsa was nice enough to walk me back to my apartment. To be honest, I never wanted this night to end, but we can't all have what we want right? We stopped in front of the entrance stairs to the building.

"You, uh, you live here?" Elsa asked.

"Yup. Just me and my roommate Adam." Elsa was still staring up at the building intently. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She snapped back to me. "Nothing. This place just seems…familiar that's all."

"Oh." Alright moment of truth. I brushed a strand of hair behind my hair. "I had fun tonight Elsa. Thanks for hanging out with me."

"I had fun too." Her face was gradually becoming red again. She didn't try to hide it either. "So...this was a date, wasn't it?"

My face lit up brighter than hers. Screw it. Honesty it is. "Well…I was kind of hoping it would be…" I mumbled.

Elsa slid her hood off of her head, exposing the entirety of her beautiful braid. God she is gorgeous.

"Anna…" The next thing I felt was a pair of warm, soft lips on my own. I was sent straight to heaven. It was only a few seconds, but it seemed like it lasted for hours. She broke lip contact and as she did I let out a quiet whine.

"Good night Anna," she said tenderly. She walked away, disappearing into the darkness.

Did you feel that? That's my heart melting again.


	4. Chapter 4: Discovery

**Sorry about the late update. I've been shooting for updates at least every two weeks. This chapter is the longest so far though so hopefully that makes up for it.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Discovery<strong>

**November 7, 2014**

It's been two weeks since my date with Elsa and let me tell you, it has been the best two weeks of my life. We've hung out pretty much every day over that time. I've told her so much about myself but she's still hesitant to share the details of her life. She's nothing at all like Weselton described her though and I'm definitely relieved about that. There has also been the occasional kiss and I'm sure as hell not complaining. We've never gone farther than just a little kiss, maybe because we're both too afraid to try anything else.

Neither of us has been over to the other one's place yet either. I mean she's been to mine, kind of, but she's never gone inside. And neither of us has actually mustered up the courage and tell the other how we feel. I'll do it soon though and then everything will really change. At this point I'd say we're just, for lack of a better description, friends who like to kiss each other. But again I'm not complaining. We're going on another date tonight so I guess that's my chance, and I'm not going to miss it. And I have not forgotten about my necklace…I'm just not as focused as I should be…

"Hey, Adam, do you think it would be alright if I brought Elsa back here tonight?"

"Why are you asking me?" he shouted from the bathroom as he prepped for work. "I told you I'm working the night shift tonight so I won't even be around. Plus, why do you need my permission? This is your apartment too. Actually this whole place is pretty much yours, I'm just allowed to live here."

"And you'd be out on the street because you wouldn't be able to afford this place if I made you start paying rent," I joked back.

"You don't pay for this place so why should I have to?"

"We're getting off topic, back to Elsa. So it's alright then if I bring her over after our date tonight?"

Adam finished his preparatory work and walked over to where I was sitting on the living room couch. "Like I said, this place is pretty much all yours anyway." He leaned in closer. "Just try not to make a mess all over the apartment, if you know what I mean."

I blushed and shoved him away with my foot. "Go to work already."

"Alright, alright if you insist. Just don't have too much fun while I'm gone," he said winking.

"Go!" I shouted.

He walked out of our apartment laughing. After he shut the door, I could hear him purposely laughing loud enough so that I could still hear him. His exaggerated laughing soon disappeared and I was left to figure out my plans with Elsa tonight. It's almost seven o'clock and I'm meeting her at 7:30. I'm running out of time to think of something. Ah screw it, things seem to go better when we just wing it. I guess I could go now to meet her, maybe she'll show up a little early.

I reached our meeting spot at 7:20. It was the same place we met up the first time we hung out. When I showed up however, Elsa was nowhere to be seen. Well, it's not quite 7:30 yet so she still has time. I waited a while, hoping my beautiful blonde would show up any minute. I checked my phone after a bit of waiting to see that it was now 7:45. No worries, she's just running a little bit late. We're college students, being late is just what we do. I tried to keep that thought in my head but that vanished when 8 o'clock rolled around. I checked my phone once again just to confirm the time and to check for any messages. There was nothing from her. No calls, no messages saying she would be late. Nothing. Maybe I should try to call her. I found Elsa's number and hit call. I waited anxiously as the phone rang.

My heart felt a little lighter when I heard Elsa pick up.

"Hey…what's up?" She seemed out of breath but I tried to ignore that.

"Hey, Elsa. Um, I was just wondering if we were still going to hang out tonight."

All I heard were heavy breaths before she spoke again. "Oh yeah…I'll be there…as soon as I can." As she spoke more, it sounded as if her voice was muffled.

"Oh okay. I'll be waiting then. Just let me know when…"

"Iceman! Quit fuckin' around and let's go!" a voice shouted in the background.

"I'm coming!" she yelled back to the voice. "Hey, Anna I've got to go. I'll be there soon alright?" Before she hung up, I heard another voice in the background.

"There they are! Hold it right there!"

"Shit!" Elsa shouted.

"Elsa, what's going on?" *click*

I pulled my phone away from my ear and looked at the screen. Call disconnected. I was tempted to call her back but I was afraid of what I might hear. I shut off the screen and slid my phone back into my pocket. She's perfectly fine. She's just…busy with something else is all. She said she'll be here. So I'll wait.

Elsa never showed up.

* * *

><p><strong>November 10, 2014<strong>

I was too afraid to call or text Elsa all weekend. Partly because I was still afraid of what I would hear on the other end. But I also have no idea what I would have said to her. I couldn't just say, 'hey, thanks for blowing me off Friday night. I had fun being by myself.' I mean, I could have said that but I don't really feel like upsetting her. The weird part about all of this is that I didn't even cry Friday night. Maybe I was too confused about what I heard to feel sad. I spent too much time analyzing my phone call that I just forgot to cry. What's worse is that I made up a story about her coming back to the apartment to Adam. So now he thinks that I actually screwed her and he won't let me hear the end of it. Maybe I'm just over-thinking this entire situation. Elsa was busy that night, she was obviously doing something very important. But then if that's the case, why didn't she tell me about it?

My thoughts were cut short when a familiar figure trudged into our morning class. Same hoodie as always. Hood up of course.

"Late again," Weselton said irritated.

Elsa didn't respond to his comment. She simply made her way back to her seat, dragging her feet the entire way. She nearly fell into her chair when she tried to sit down. Her butt hit the chair and soon after that she was passed out at her desk, head resting on her arms. I didn't even have time to say hello before she drifted off to sleep. She didn't even look at me. Something is up with her and I intend to find out.

When class ended, Elsa was still fast asleep. I half expected Weselton to wake her up at some point during class but I guess he's pretty much given up on her. Which means I get to do it.

"Elsa. Wake up," I said tapping her on the shoulder. "Wake up, class is over." She didn't budge. I waited until everyone, including Weselton vacated the classroom before putting more effort into it.

I grabbed her shoulder and shook her aggressively. "Elsa, wake the hell up." Still nothing. I shook more aggressively. "Wake…" Before I could finish my sentence, Elsa's hand was around my wrist. She immediately shifted out of her seat and maneuvered around behind me. She pinned the arm she had a hold of behind my back and placed her other arm across my back. She bent me over, slamming my head down on the desk. In a matter of seconds, I went from trying to wake Elsa up, to being manhandled by her.

When she realized what she was doing, Elsa released me and backed away. "Oh my god Anna, I am so sorry! You just surprised me, it was just a reaction!"

I slowly lifted myself up from my bent over position, rubbing the side of my head that hit the desk. "No, it's alright, I shouldn't have tried to wake you up like that. It was my fault." I couldn't see my face, but I imagine it was just as red as Elsa's. And it's not because my face just hit a wooden desk. I think I was actually kind of turned on…

"That was all my fault and I am so sorry!" She slid her hood off of her head and moved closer. Wow, she must really feel bad if her hood came off. She tried to reach out to take my hand, but instead she turned and ran out of the room.

"Elsa, hold on!" I yelled as I tried to chase after her. It was no use though. She's too fast for me. Within mere seconds she was gone, leaving me here with a whole mess of emotions. I didn't know whether to cry or to be angry at her. Dammit, just when I thought everything was going so well. I stepped back inside the classroom to grab my backpack.

I stopped when I noticed that mine wasn't the only one still there. There was a backpack sitting on the floor by the desk in front of mine. Then that must be…Elsa's! I knelt down next to it to inspect it closer. It has to be hers, who else would it belong to? I started to unzip it to see what was inside but I stopped myself. Control yourself Anna. This is Elsa's backpack, not yours. It's an invasion of her privacy. She might have stuff in here she doesn't want others seeing anyway. I'll just call her and tell her to come back and get it.

I pulled out my phone, found Elsa's number, and hit call. As soon as my phone started ringing, so did Elsa's backpack. Seriously? What girl doesn't carry her phone on her person at all times? Well that's not going to work. I started at her backpack for a few moments, trying to fight back the urge to look inside. One little peek can't hurt…

Before I made any kind of progress, a few students came in for the next class. Okay, find somewhere secluded first, and then check. I picked up both backpacks and rushed out of the room. Crap, I forgot I had another class after this though. Plan B, go to my next class, then find somewhere to check the backpack. That works.

When my next class finally ended, I made my way towards the north campus student center. Not the most private of places but no one there is really going to notice me anyway. Once I reached the building, I found a table back in the corner, away from everyone. I threw my stuff down on the floor and threw Elsa's backpack on the table. Alright, let's see what we've got. I eagerly unzipped the main pocket on the bag and dug my hands inside. I first pulled out her laptop. Nothing special, just looks like an ordinary laptop. Next. Laptop charger, a few pens, a small notebook. That's it? That's all she had? What a letdown. Hold on, maybe there's something in her notebook. I opened it up and scanned it furiously. What I found inside was not what I was expecting.

There were sketches of what seemed to be the floor layouts of certain buildings. There were marks all over the sketches and words scribbled about the pages. I couldn't read most of what she had written, it all just seemed like nonsense. I flipped through the notebook a little more until I saw something I could actually read. There were pages upon pages of addresses scribbled down. On the first page of them, she had written 'Potential Hits.' Hits?

I examined all of them until I hit the last page of them when I saw something familiar. Wait, this is….my address!? Why is this in there? It has the street, building number, and my…room number…I never gave that to her. How does she know that? I tossed the notebook back in her bag. Why does she have all this? My curiosity was piqued now. There has to be more in here that explains all of this. The main pocket was empty, so I moved on to the smaller one on the front of the backpack. I reached in and pulled out what appeared to be a piece of clothing. It looked like some type of mask, but one that only covers the bottom half of your face. It was black with snowflakes of different shapes and sizes all over it. This mask…I've seen it before…

This is…the mask of that thief than ran into me a few weeks back. But why does Elsa…

"What are you doing with my stuff!?" The mask and backpack were snatched away from me in an instant.

"Elsa! Hey, what's up?" I replied trying to act nonchalant. It didn't work.

"Don't what's up me." Elsa wasted no time in gathering her things off of the table and shoving them back into her backpack. When she picked up her notebook, she looked me dead in the eyes. "Did you look inside?" she asked holding the notebook up.

"Absolutely not," I lied. "I just pulled it out of your bag. I didn't read a thing."

Elsa glared at me with mistrust. "You better not be lying to me Anna. This notebook is absolutely private."

"I swear to you, I didn't read a single page."

She continued staring for a few seconds before she finally believed me. "Alright, I believe you." She threw the notebook in her backpack and started to walk off.

Oh no you don't. I still have questions. "Elsa, hang on."

She stopped and turned around. "What?"

"Where were you Friday night?" I asked a bit solemnly. When I asked that, all anger disappeared from her face. She stood motionless for a few seconds before slowly walking back over to me. She set her backpack down and took a seat across from me.

"I want to tell you the truth Anna, I really do. I can't tell you what I was doing though. If I did…you wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"Are you kidding me? Elsa, whatever you were doing couldn't have been that bad. Just tell me the truth." I tried to hold her hand that was resting on the table but she pulled it away. "Please tell me." I gave her puppy dog eyes hoping it would get her to spill it.

Elsa noticed but didn't seem to care. "I just can't Anna. You wouldn't understand…"

"Well then help me understand something else." Elsa just looked at me waiting for my next sentence. "Why do you have that mask in your backpack?"

Elsa's eyes went wide. She searched for a convincing answer but she was unable to find one. "I have it because…"

"I remember seeing someone with that exact same mask run into me a few weeks back. The exact same mask." I stared Elsa dead in the eyes. "And as a matter of fact, their hairstyle was very similar to yours. Same long, blonde braid." Elsa didn't know what to say, so I continued. "This 'masked figure' kept me restrained so that I wouldn't alert the police officers that were chasing them. Kind of like how _you_ pinned me in the class room this morning…"

I could tell Elsa's face was riddled with defeat. All I hoped was that she would tell me the truth. She took a deep breath. "Anna, there's a lot you don't know about me. To be honest, I think it would be better for both of us if it stayed that way but…"

"I just want the truth Elsa. That's all."

She hesitated before speaking again. "But since it seems like you already know, I guess there's no point in hiding it." She grabbed the mask out of her backpack and held it up to her face. "It was me." She laid the mask down on the table and looked back at me. "Surprise," she said half-heartedly.

This would have been a complete shock to me if she would have straight out told me out of her own free will instead of me having to force it out of her. I still had questions though. "So…why were you running from the police?"

Elsa was unable to stop fidgeting in her seat. I had never seen her so nervous. Except when we went on our first date…

"Because…" She hesitated. "Because I may have stolen something from the one of the professors' offices."

"So you are a thief?" I guess Adam's assumption was correct. "So when I called you Friday night, were you…"

Elsa subtly nodded. "For obvious reasons, I couldn't tell you what I was doing then."

"Is this the first time you've done this?" I ignored her previous comment, knowing it would only make me angry if I focused on that.

She chuckled to herself. "I've stolen so many things that I've lost count."

I don't know what to think about that. "So what do you do with the things you steal?"

"I sell them to a pawn store owner. But pawn stores aren't allowed to buy stolen items, so he has his own buyer that he sells to. When the sale goes through, I get a cut of the profit."

I'm glad she's telling me the truth now but Jesus Christ. I never imagined this girl would have this kind of secret. I hate to keep asking questions but I have to know everything. "How long have you been doing this?" I'm not even sure I want to hear the answer actually.

"Since high school."

"Why do you do it?" I asked.

"To survive," she responded quietly.

When I heard Elsa say that, my heart shattered a bit. I wasn't sure if it was from pity or disappointment. "What do you mean by survive?"

"You know how I told you that I live with my cousin off campus? About how I told you he makes plenty of money to support us?" I just nodded. "Well, that was a lie." I didn't say anything, I just waited for her to continue. "I mean, I do live with my cousin, but we're far from rich. Each month is a struggle for us. So when I say survive, I mean it."

I wanted to cry and wrap Elsa up right now, but I sat silently listening to her story.

"My cousin has a shitty job with shitty pay. He dropped out of high school as a junior so he doesn't have much of an education." Elsa's words were growing softer the longer she spoke. "He tries so hard to support us. He even finds a way to help pay my college costs. He doesn't want me to end up like him. He wants me to go to school, get a degree, and have the life that he never had." Elsa's eyes were beginning to become red and puffy. She looked as if she was ready to cry. "So that's why I do what I do. My cousin works so hard for me, I can't let all of it be for nothing."

One more question and then I'll stop. I can't stand to see her cry. "I just have one more thing to ask." She looked at me with teary eyes. "Isn't there a better way? Why this?"

Elsa wiped away the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "Right before I graduated high school, I met two other guys. The guys that pulled me away from you a couple weeks back actually. They told me that they had been watching me. They said that I had potential." Elsa paused for a moment to wipe away the last of her tears. "They did parkour as well. So I started hanging out with them. Not long after that, they got me involved in some…less than legal things. At first I refused, but after seeing my cousin struggle the way he did…I went along with it. The money I made off of it was just enough to help support my cousin. I figured it was better than what any normal job could give me. They've been alongside me ever since."

"So, do these guys live the same kind of life?" Way to make that sound insulting…

Elsa scoffed. "They do this purely for sport. They're spoiled kids from rich families. They're arrogant, self-centered, over confident assholes and I hate everything about them. But I can't pull off every job on my own." Her head dropped on her last sentence.

As I listened to everything Elsa was telling me, I could feel more questions pushing their way into my mind. After everything I've heard though, I'm not sure I want to hear her answers. I ignored my thoughts and went back to listening to Elsa.

"So, I'm still stuck in this life. I can't leave it, not right now anyway. If I did, my cousin and I would never survive. The worst part about all of this is that he thinks I work a normal job. I have to lie about how I make money." Elsa clenched her shirt as if she was trying to keep her heart together. "It tears me apart inside knowing that I can't tell him the truth. He thinks I'm a good girl, living an innocent life." Elsa rubbed her eyes and placed her hand back on the table. "That's why I'm here though. To make a better life for myself so that I can give back everything my cousin gave to me." Tears were starting to build up in her eyes again but she quickly wiped them away. "This is what I'm good at and if that means stealing to survive, then so be it."

I was almost ready to break down in tears myself but I choked it down. "Elsa…" I reached for her hands. This time she let me grab a hold of them. "I wish I knew what to say but…"

"That you never want anything to do with me again," she interjected. "That I'm just no good for anyone. That I should leave your life forever."

I took one hand off of hers and pulled her hood down. I then moved my hand to her cheek and gently caressed it. "Elsa, if there's one thing you are, it's good." I leaned across the table and softly kissed her lips. I leaned back and placed my hand back on hers. "Please don't leave my life."

Elsa's face was glowing red. Tears were once again returning to her eyes. Only this time I was hoping they were tears of joy. It's almost as if she refused to let herself cry though as she immediately wiped them away before they rolled down her cheeks.

"Thank you Anna," she said sincerely.

Alright Anna, now keep it rolling. "So, um, if you're not busy Friday night, would you maybe want to try again?"

"After everything that I just told you, you still want to be with me?" she asked surprised.

"Of course," I replied. "You're definitely the most exciting girl that I've ever met. Besides, who else is going to come to your rescue if you get in some kind of trouble?"

"Anna, I don't want you getting involved in my problems. I refuse to let that happen."

"Elsa, this is my choice. I want to be with you."

"Anna…"

"This is my choice," I interrupted.

"Why me Anna?" Elsa asked.

I didn't even have to think about my answer. "Because I've never met someone as selfless and kind-hearted as you. When I think about you, I think about how I want to be just like you."

"Anna I…"

"So, Friday night, yes or no? And I've just decided I won't take no for an answer."

Elsa just stared at me in bewilderment before finally smiling.

"I'll pick you up at seven," she replied contently.


End file.
